Budd-Chiari syndrome: An unusual complication of an internal jugular tunneled dialysis catheter

Budd-Chiari syndrome due to the tip of an internal jugular tunneled dialysis catheter malposition in inferior vena cava or hepatic vein is a rare complication. We aimed to present our experience and compare it with the previous reports to highlight the clinical features and the optimal management. A 57-year-old female with history of ANCAp vasculitis, treated by hemodialysis in the last 2 years on a right internal jugular vein tunneled catheter was admitted for pain in the right upper quadrant. A subacute Budd-Chiari syndrome due to catheter malposition was diagnosed. The catheter was removed, and a new tunneled hemodialysis line was inserted in the right internal jugular vein with the tip at the junction of right atrium with superior vena cava. Anticoagulation with apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily was started after catheter replacement and the patient was discharged. At 1 month follow-up the patient had no symptoms, and the ultrasound revealed the absence of the thrombus in the inferior vena cava. Imagining monitoring for malposition after insertion or in a clinical context suggestive for Budd-Chiari syndrome is essential for early diagnosis and treatment. In our case, anticoagulation with apixaban and prompt catheter replacement resulted in Budd-Chiari syndrome resolution.

A nationwide prospective multicenter study of external ventricular drainage: accuracy, safety, and related complications

OBJECTIVE External ventricular drainage (EVD) catheters are associated with complications such as EVD catheter infection (ECI), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and suboptimal placement. The aim of this study was to investigate the rates of EVD catheter complications and their associated risk factor profiles in order to optimize the safety and accuracy of catheter insertion. METHODS A total of 348 patients with urgently placed EVD catheters were included as a part of a prospective multicenter observational cohort. Strict definitions were applied for each complication category. RESULTS The rates of misplacement, ECI/ventriculitis, and ICH were 38.6%, 12.2%, and 9.2%, respectively. Catheter misplacement was associated with midline shift (p = 0.002), operator experience (p = 0.031), and intracranial length (p < 0.001). Although mostly asymptomatic, ICH occurred more often in patients receiving prophylactic low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) (p = 0.002) and those who required catheter replacement (p = 0.026). Infectious complications (ECI/ventriculitis and suspected ECI) occurred more commonly in patients whose catheters were inserted at the bedside (p = 0.004) and those with smaller incisions (≤ 1 cm) (p < 0.001). ECI/ventriculitis was not associated with preinsertion antibiotic prophylaxis (p = 0.421), catheter replacement (p = 0.118), and catheter tunneling length (p = 0.782). CONCLUSIONS EVD-associated complications are common. These results suggest that the operating room setting can help reduce the risk of infection, but not the use of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Although EVD-related ICH was associated with LMWH prophylaxis for deep vein thrombosis, there were no significant clinical manifestations in the majority of patients. Catheter misplacement was associated with operator level of training and midline shift. Information from this multicenter prospective cohort can be utilized to increase the safety profile of this common neurosurgical procedure.

Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Drainage of Abdominal Collections—An Analysis over 5 Years

Introduction. Ultrasound-guided (US-guided) percutaneous drainage (PD) of abdominal collections represents the first-choice alternative to surgical intervention. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of PD of visceral and non-visceral abdominal collections by reviewing our personal experience over a period of 5 years. Material and methods. The present study included 66 patients who underwent PD under ultrasound guidance. We analyzed clinical variables (collection size, catheter diameter, collection type, microbiological analysis, antibiotic regimens) along with the outcomes of the procedure. Results. Visceral collections were predominant, encompassing 38 hepatic abscesses and 1 splenic hematoma. Microbiological analysis showed that the majority (54%) were monomicrobial. The most encountered pathogens were Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Technical success was achieved in all cases and clinical success was observed in 84.6% of the cases. No immediate procedural complications were detected. There were 6 patients who needed reinterventions, either by catheter replacement or by surgical treatment. The mortality rate was 4.5%, due to patients’ poor overall status and oncological comorbidities. Conclusions. Percutaneous drainage under ultrasound guidance is a safe and effective procedure in the management of abdominal collections.

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Placement in a Cardiology Ward: A Focus Group Study of Nurses’ Perspectives

Intravenous therapy administration through peripheral venous catheters is one of the most common nursing procedures performed in clinical contexts. However, peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) remain insufficiently used by nurses and can be considered a potential alternative for patients who need aggressive intravenous therapy and/or therapy for extended periods. The purpose of this study was to understand nurses’ perspectives about PICC implementation in their clinical practice. As part of an action-research project, three focus groups were developed in June 2019 with nineteen nurses of a cardiology ward from a Portuguese tertiary hospital. From the content analysis, two main categories emerged: ‘nursing practices’ and ‘patients’. Nurses considered PICC beneficial for their clinical practice because it facilitates maintenance care and catheter replacement rates. Moreover, nurses suggested that, since there is a need for specific skills, the constitution of vascular access teams, as recommended by international guidelines, could be an advantage. Regarding patient benefits, nurses highlighted a decrease in the number of venipunctures and also of patient discomfort, which was associated with the number of peripheral venous catheters. Infection prevention was also indicated. As an emerging medical device used among clinicians, peripherally inserted central catheters seem to be essential to clinical practice.

MO868CLINICAL OUTCOMES FOR INTRAVENOUS DRUG USERS REQUIRING HAEMODIALYSIS

Background and Aims Intravenous drug users (IVDU) face significant challenges when requiring long-term therapies such as dialysis and pose management dilemma to clinicians. Many patients present late, complicated by erratic lifestyles and complex mental health needs, often requiring urgent renal replacement therapy (RRT). Decisions regarding modality can be difficult due to the lack of evidence for outcomes in this cohort. We investigated the clinical outcomes of patients with history of IVDU in our service who presented with ESRD. Method A single-centre retrospective analysis of ESRD patients with a background of IVDU. Incidence of hospital and ICU admission, length of stay and frequency of culture positive sepsis following the initiation of RRT were investigated. Primary outcome was days admitted versus days spent in the community, frequency of life-threatening sepsis and tunnelled catheter replacement. Data was collected from the date of first RRT (earliest April 2015 and latest November 2019) to last follow-up in September 2020 or patient death. An admission was included when the patient was admitted for at least an overnight stay in hospital. Admission days calculated do not include attendance for outpatient haemodialysis. Bacteraemia’s were included when a report confirming a positive culture associated with clinical features of infection; paired samples were counted as a single episode. Results Six patients initiated RRT during the study period and included four males and two females. Mean age of 46.6 years (32-54 years). Cause of ESRD was Amyloid AA in 5) and IgA nephropathy in 1). Mean follow-up was 677 days till censor (range 313 to 932 days). There was an average of nine inpatient admissions (range 3 to 17) averaging 280 inpatient days (range 29 to 637 days) across the cohort. At last follow-up, three patients died with an average time to death of 833 days from initiation of RRT (range 664 to 932 days). Four patients required at least one admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ITU) with an average length of stay of 10.3 days (range 1 to 47 days). All patients experienced at least two episodes of culture positive sepsis with a total of 72 bacteraemia’s across the cohort (range 2 to 41). Four patients required tunnelled catheter replacement ranging from 2 to 7 catheters. Results are summarised in Table 1. Conclusion IVDU patients represent a challenging patient population to manage with limited options available for RRT. This study highlights these difficulties particularly with the use of tunnelled catheters for haemodialysis. Our results indicate RRT in IVDUs is associated with frequent and prolonged hospital stays with multiple bacteraemia’s, ICU admissions and significant mortality. Clinicians are faced with a significant ethical dilemma as tunnelled catheters represent both a lifeline for continued survival and a perfect access to recreational drugs. If patients are to be offered haemodialysis via tunnelled access, more intensive and earlier multidisciplinary planning and counselling needs to be employed to ensure patients are aware of the significance of the associated risks. Psychological therapy and social care input would be essential to help reduce morbidity and mortality.

Vascular access for renal replacement therapy among 459 critically ill patients: a pragmatic analysis of the randomized AKIKI trial

Background Vascular access for renal replacement therapy (RRT) is routine question in the intensive care unit. Randomized trials comparing jugular and femoral sites have shown similar rate of nosocomial events and catheter dysfunction. However, recent prospective observational data on RRT catheters use are scarce. We aimed to assess the site of RRT catheter, the reasons for catheter replacement, and the complications according to site in a large population of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. Patients and methods We performed an ancillary study of the AKIKI study, a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, in which patients with severe acute kidney injury (KDIGO 3 classification) with invasive mechanical ventilation, catecholamine infusion or both were randomly assigned to either an early or a delayed RRT initiation strategy. The present study involved all patients who underwent at least one RRT session. Number of RRT catheters, insertion sites, factors potentially associated with the choice of insertion site, duration of catheter use, reason for catheter replacement, and complications were prospectively collected. Results Among the 619 patients included in AKIKI, 462 received RRT and 459 were finally included, with 598 RRT catheters. Femoral site was chosen preferentially (n = 319, 53%), followed by jugular (n = 256, 43%) and subclavian (n = 23, 4%). In multivariate analysis, continuous RRT modality was significantly associated with femoral site (OR = 2.33 (95% CI (1.34–4.07), p = 0.003) and higher weight with jugular site [88.9 vs 83.2 kg, OR = 0.99 (95% CI 0.98–1.00), p = 0.03]. Investigator site was also significantly associated with the choice of insertion site (p = 0.03). Cumulative incidence of catheter replacement did not differ between jugular and femoral site [sHR 0.90 (95% CI 0.64—1.25), p = 0.67]. Catheter dysfunction was the main reason for replacement (n = 47), followed by suspected infection (n = 29) which was actually seldom proven (n = 4). No mechanical complication (pneumothorax or hemothorax) occurred. Conclusion Femoral site was preferentially used in this prospective study of RRT catheters in 31 French intensive care units. The choice of insertion site depended on investigating center habits, weight, RRT modality. A high incidence of catheter infection suspicion led to undue replacement.